Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/206

126 dition, separates from most of the usual organic solvents in glistening leaflets (m. pt. 68°C, b. pt. 247° -248°) 20 mm., [a] D = + 56° has the formula C18H32O2, and is designated chaulmoogric acid. It combines with only two atomic proportions of bromine or iodine. Palmitic acid also was identified,, and there is reason for assuming the presence of a near homologue or homologues of chaulmoogric acid, but belonging to the series having the general formula CnH2n- 4 O2 with two ethylemic linkings. Undecylic acid and hydroxy acids were proved to be absent, and an individual acid corresponding to hypogæie acid, could not be isolated. The " gynocardic acid " of all previous investigators is believed to be a mixture of several substances. The " presscake " yielded, besides formic and acetic acids and a very small amount of volatile esters having the characteristic odor of the seeds, an appreciable amount of a neutral oily substance, C18H32O2(b. pt. 214°— 215° 18 mm. ; sp. gr., 0-9066 at 16°/16° C., [a]D=+42-4°) which is isomeric with chaulmoogric acid. Mr. P. C. Chattopâddhyâya has analysed the seed and published his results in the American Journal of Pharmacy for 1915 pp. 473-483 of which the following is the Summary.

A SAMPLE of cold drawn oil from genuine seeds of Taraktagenos Kurzii (true chaulmoogra seeds) and an oil derived from supposedly genuine, but probably mixed seeds, by hot expression, were examined. The former was a pale yellow oil and remained liquid at 15°C, whilst the latter was a brownish yellow buttery substance which was separated by filtration into about equal parts of a clear oil and a solid fat (chaulmoogra fat) before analysis. The following values were obtained : —